The Kenyan government has announced the elimination of the entry fee for passport holders from South Africa and six additional countries.
This decision comes after the implementation of a $30 entry fee in January 2024, which had faced criticism for potentially increasing travel costs and bureaucratic processes.
Initially, the government had abolished visa requirements for all foreign passport holders, but the entry fee was introduced, affecting even those visitors who were previously exempt from visa requirements.
This move sparked concerns about the possibility of other nations adopting similar fee structures for travelers from countries with which they have visa-waiver agreements.
The exemption from the entry fee has now been extended to passport holders from five other African nations: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Congo-Brazzaville, Comoros, and Mozambique. San Marino, Europe’s third-smallest nation, is the sole non-African country on the exemption list.
According to a memorandum from Kenya’s interior ministry and immigration department, the exempted countries have either entered into “visa abolition agreements or signed bilateral visa waiver agreements” with Kenya.
Despite the exemption, travelers from these countries are still required to obtain an electronic travel authorization (ETA) in advance, providing details such as flight information and proof of accommodation. The ETA permits a single entry and remains valid for 90 days, offering a streamlined yet secure entry process for eligible visitors.
